Hiring isn’t a one-and-done event. It’s a multistage process, and every stage has a price tag.
1. Recruiting Costs
Think beyond job ads. Recruiting includes:
- Writing and posting listings on multiple platforms
- Screening resumes and scheduling interviews
- Paying internal recruiters or third-party agencies
- Running background checks and assessments
Example: If you hire 50 agents a year, and each recruiting cycle costs $3,000, that’s $150,000 annually just to find people.
2. Onboarding and Training
Once hired, agents need extensive training:
- Product/service knowledge
- Call handling protocols
- CRM and ticketing systems
- Compliance and privacy regulations
- Brand tone and soft skills
This often involves:
- Dedicated trainers
- Learning platforms and LMS tools
- Supervisors pulled away from operations to support new agents
Hidden cost: Training pulls leadership attention from team performance. And rushed onboarding often leads to underprepared agents and early burnout.
3. Ramp-Up Time
Even after training, it takes time for new agents to become proficient. During this phase:
- They may struggle with call volumes
- They’re more likely to make mistakes
- Metrics like AHT (Average Handle Time), FCR (First Contact Resolution), and CSAT may suffer
This performance dip impacts both customer satisfaction and bottom-line efficiency.
Total hiring + training + ramp-up cost per agent:
$7,000–$15,000
(And possibly more depending on the complexity of the role or technology.)
Multiply that by your annual hiring volume—the result is staggering.
Why Retention Pays Off (Big Time)
Here’s the truth: it’s significantly more cost-effective to retain an agent than to replace them.
In fact, research consistently shows that the cost to replace a contact center employee is often 20–30% of their annual salary. But the impact goes even deeper:
Higher Productivity
Experienced agents:
- Close tickets faster
- Handle complex interactions more confidently
- Need less supervision and coaching
Better Customer Experience
Familiarity with tools, tone, and customer pain points enables agents to deliver more empathetic and personalized service. That boosts CSAT, NPS, and loyalty.
Improved Internal Culture
High turnover breeds instability. Retention builds:
- Stronger team camaraderie
- Peer-to-peer support
- Knowledge sharing and mentorship
Reduced Operational Disruptions
Every resignation creates ripple effects: schedule gaps, overworked team members, and increased escalations. Retention smooths operations and maintains consistent service levels.
How to Retain Your Contact Center Employees
Retention isn’t a mystery. It comes down to how you support, engage, and grow your people. Here are deeper strategies with practical examples:
1. Invest in Career Development
- Offer agent-to-supervisor tracks and cross-training (e.g., QA, workforce management)
- Provide certifications and microlearning modules
- Spotlight internal promotions to motivate growth
Example: A telecom contact center that built a “Grow With Us” internal learning path saw 20% higher retention within a year.
2. Improve the Work Environment
- Offer hybrid or remote flexibility
- Eliminate outdated, clunky tools that frustrate agents
- Provide noise-canceling headsets, ergonomic chairs, and dual monitors
Pro tip: Conduct a “Day in the Life” audit of your average agent. Where do tools or processes create friction?
3. Recognize and Reward
- Launch “Agent of the Month” programs with prizes or PTO
- Use peer recognition platforms
- Tie bonuses to customer compliments, CSAT scores, or attendance
Example: One financial services company saw a 28% drop in absenteeism after launching a simple team-based recognition wall.
4. Listen and Act on Feedback
- Use weekly pulse surveys and act quickly on what you learn
- Create an internal “Agent Advisory Council” to surface ideas
- Host skip-level meetings with leadership
Insight: Agents who feel heard are more likely to stay—even during stressful periods.
5. Support Mental Health and Wellbeing
- Provide access to EAPs (Employee Assistance Programs)
- Train supervisors in emotional intelligence and mental health first aid
- Encourage agents to take their breaks, PTO, and “wellness hours”
Real talk: Contact center work is emotionally demanding. Burnout is avoidable—but only if you intentionally design around it.
Conclusion: Hire Smart, But Retain Smarter
Contact centers will always need to hire, but if you’re stuck in a hire-train-leave cycle, you’re losing more than just money. You’re losing momentum.
Retention isn’t just about keeping employees. It’s about maintaining consistency in experience, culture, performance, and brand.
The ROI is clear: A loyal team creates loyal customers.
If you want to reduce turnover and build a resilient, high-performing contact center team?
Start by valuing, supporting, and empowering your agents as if they’re your most important customers—because they are.
TrainingPros can help you with Retention by keeping your employees up-to-date with products and processes.
Ready to Work With Us?
TrainingPros is an award-winning training provider offering training on Avaya products and services for over twenty years. We employ highly skilled, versatile, expert trainers who are true professionals and experts on Avaya products and solutions.
We strive for excellence, and feedback from our students and instructors is key to our growth and success. Learner engagement and satisfaction are the most critical measures of the effectiveness of virtual training. TrainingPros surveys all our participants and evaluates feedback to drive continuous improvement in our training offerings. Our results on client satisfaction speak for themselves, with a 4.8 out of 5 customer satisfaction score. We employ many of the above virtual training best practices to bring our learners the best training experience. Visit us to enroll in an Avaya training class or contact us to schedule a custom class for your company today. Avaya.Training@TrainingPros.com
